Hundreds of bonfires will be lit across Northern Ireland over the weekend in advance of the July 12th Orange Order marches.The main parades will take place on Monday, July 13th because the Twelfth falls on a Sunday.A “significant policing operation” will be in place to “provide reassurance and safety”, the PSNI said.Orangemen and women from more than 1,000 lodges are taking part in the annual marches, which mark the victory of Protestant king William III over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 in Co Meath.Bonfires – usually lit on the Eleventh night were in more than 200 locations from last night, with most bonfires taking place today and some on Sunday.The “vast majority” of bonfires and parades are expected to pass off peacefully and “without any significant inconvenience or concern to the public”, police have said.The Loyalist Corcrain Redmanville bonfire in Portadown. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Fireworks in Portadown ahead of the Twelfth of July celebrations. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Their comments were made before PSNI officers were deployed to a controversial bonfire in Moygashel, Co Tyrone on Thursday to remove a “hate display” of a replica mosque on top of the pyre before it was set ablaze.Masked men climbed down from the burning effigy and ran into a 100-strong crowd where umbrellas were used to hide them from police carrying out surveillance on an overhead helicopter.[ Loyalist bonfire lit early after police begin to remove mosque replicaOpens in new window ]The details emerged at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court on Friday, when a man was charged with incitement to hatred in connection with the display.There has been widespread political condemnation of the incident, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin saying those responsible are “sowing hate in society”.A councillor for the Dungannon area said a “level of fear” remained in the community on Friday, particularly among migrants.A “small minority” supported loyalists behind the Moygashel bonfire, SDLP councillor Karol McQuade said.He described those responsible for the mosque effigy as “dinosaurs who lived in the past”.“But when you look at the amount of young people in and around that bonfire, that means these dinosaurs are passing their hate on to these youths – who will continue it on for maybe another 20 years,” he said.A bonfire in south Belfast, which became engulfed in controversy last year after it emerged there was asbestos on the site that is located close to an electricity substation powering the city’s two main hospitals, will be lit tomorrow night.[ Man arrested over Moygashel bonfire claims he was enlisted due to his work as tree surgeonOpens in new window ]The Orange Order said its Co Armagh parade in Newtownhamilton on Monday will be its “largest Orange gathering”.Belfast is to host the longest Twelfth parade with more than 6,000 participants and 77 bands as well as a contingent of Scottish visitors.An estimated 170,000 spectators lined the city route last year.There will be 19 main parades as well as the annual Rossnowlagh parade in Co Donegal, which will take place on July 11th. The last time the Twelfth fell on a Sunday was during Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when restrictions led to the cancellation of most events.Other “sizeable” demonstrations will take place in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh, Limavady, Co Derry, Cookstown, Co Tyrone and Rathfriland, Co Down.Orange Order grandmaster Harold Henning said the parades are a “vibrant public expression of our identity, culture and heritage”. It is a tradition which is “held dear by a great many people in our community”.